On Saturday, October 12th, the three councils that support Philadelphia Yearly Meeting—Quaker Life Council, Administrative Council, and Nominating Council—held their first meeting in a new joint format. In this structure, all three councils meet together as one Joint Council to worship, discern, and conduct business collaboratively. A key feature in the joint format is the approval of minutes during the meeting. This allows the Joint Council to share the minutes in a news story with the PYM community in the week following the meeting.
Community Engagement
Exploring PYM Connect: Features for Connection and Community
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting is launching a new online community platform, PYM Connect, in January of 2025. PYM Connect is a secure and supportive virtual space to discuss, engage, and grow with PYM Friends. It allows participants to share updates and meaningful news, while also providing a virtual space to connect with other Friends within PYM who share similar ministries and leadings.
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Exploring Thoughtful Planning with Compassion and Care
Discussing the stages of life is never easy, but it still remains one of the most essential acts we can offer both ourselves, our loved ones, and members of our meeting. The upcoming workshop, Creating Your Advance Directives and End of Life Plan, which will be one of the three at the Grief, Loss & Bereavement: A Pastoral Care Thread Gathering On October 19th, will provide a welcoming space for Friends to navigate this delicate subject. Participants will gain insight into critical documents, such as living wills and healthcare directives, that help ensure their values and wishes are honored. The facilitators, Susan W. Hoskins (Newtown Friends Meeting) and Susan K. Garrison (Media Friends Meeting), will lead a discussion on completing important materials, offering peace of mind to us and those we care for.
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Be the First to Shape A Virtual Platform for PYM Friends | PYM Connect
A ministry of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting is to keep the body interconnected, and the virtual tools available allow Friends to share their messages and connect faster. PYM staff are finding and providing new resources across the yearly meeting community to help keep connected. Friends no longer have to wait for an event or session; they will be able to connect anytime and anywhere, and PYM is looking for participants to provide input on an online platform.
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Ways to Connect Before Sessions
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting has multiple October events that will provide ways to engage within our community before Fall Continuing Sessions. Three opportunities include fellowship of the thread gathering, a family-centered peace-building event, or the collective discernment over climate during a virtual threshing session. Each of these events offers a unique opportunity to engage with the PYM community and prepare ourselves spiritually for the work ahead. Whether you are seeking fellowship, family engagement, or discernment on critical issues, these events will help ground us as we come together as a faith community:
Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting on “Going Veggie” and Using “Creating a Playbook for Climate Action”
Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting has embraced a new initiative to support climate action by “going veggie” on the third Sunday of each month. This meeting-wide project is the result of collaboration between the Climate Action and Hospitality Committees, reflecting a shared commitment to addressing climate change.
Sarah Whitman, a member of both committees at Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting, shared her perspective and the behind-the-scenes on this new initiative. “Last spring, we started a Climate Action Committee to help the meeting address climate change,” Sarah shared. “There have been individual leadings and practices related to climate change, but not a project that the whole meeting does together. I happen to be a member of both Hospitality and the Climate Action Committee, so I felt like this was an opportunity for synergy between those two committees.”
We Invite You to Join a PYM Granting Group!
Granting groups are a very meaningful part of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (PYM), and each group is thankful for the volunteers who give their time and effort as granting group members. PYM Friends are encouraged to join a granting group to have the opportunity to practice philanthropy through discernment and to be part of distributing grants on behalf of all of PYM’s members.
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Moorestown Monthly Meeting: Movie & Pizza Night
The Anti-Racism Committee at Moorestown Monthly Meeting invites you to join us for Movie and Pizza night on May 18, 2024 at 5 pm for a showing of “Origin”. This movie, rated PG-13, will be shown in the D’Olier room of our Meetinghouse. A separate movie will be playing for younger children in our Library. No RSVP is required. We will order pizza based on attendance at 5 pm.
Attending The Gathering From Childhood Reinforced Lifelong Connections with Friends
Attending the Gathering from Childhood Reinforced Lifelong Connections with Friends
When I was nine, my family’s move brought us to a different unprogrammed meeting in a new state. My newly- made friend’s warm, cheerful mother invited me to go to the Cape May, New Jersey, Conference (not called the Gathering yet) with her and my friend, since my family was not able to attend. I eagerly accepted. [Read more…] about Attending The Gathering From Childhood Reinforced Lifelong Connections with Friends
Friends Fiduciary Welcomes New Executive Director
Last month Friends Fiduciary named a new Executive Director: Ethan Birchard. PYM, as well as many meetings, Friends schools, retirement communities, and other Quaker organizations trusts Fiduciary to invest funds and advocate for change in a way that is in alignment with Quaker testimonies. The announcement letter from Bennett Lomax (Doylestown Meeting), board chair for Fiduciary, shares some information about Ethan and welcomes him to the role.
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